A Tale of Valour: Major Somnath Sharma and the Battle of Badgam
NoteWhat This Chapter Covers
This chapter opens Unit 2: Values and Dispositions with a true story of courage. It is a non-fiction tribute to Major Somnath Sharma, the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest wartime gallantry award. In November 1947, during the Battle of Badgam in Kashmir, Major Sharma — his left arm in plaster — led just 90 men of D Company against around 500 invaders to protect the Srinagar airport. He fought to his last breath and was killed by a mortar shell, but his stand bought precious time for reinforcements and helped save Srinagar for India. You will trace his early life, the events of the battle, and his lasting legacy, and learn the vocabulary and grammar the account uses.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- narrate the main events of Major Somnath Sharma’s life and the Battle of Badgam;
- explain why his stand at Badgam mattered, and what the Param Vir Chakra is;
- identify the values the account celebrates — courage, duty, leadership, sacrifice;
- use the chapter’s vocabulary of war and bravery correctly;
- apply grammar used in the text: past tenses, reported speech, and the passive voice.